


The Date

by supergirrl



Category: Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:36:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supergirrl/pseuds/supergirrl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toast asks her sisters to help her find a worthy candidate for a double date.  Fortunately, Capable knows just the person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jaetion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaetion/gifts).



> Hello everyone! I've had this idea for a humor modern AU with Toast and Slit, and since Jaetion is the author of my absolute favorite Toast/Slit modern AU, I thought I would dedicate it to her! Check out her writing, she's amazing!

It wasn’t that Slit was mad that Nux was dating Capable. On the contrary, he liked how happy Nux was now, and Capable was awesome.

He just wished he didn’t have to hear about Capable _all the damn time._

Although they ostensibly lived together, he barely saw Nux anyway, since he was either at work or with Capable. That he could handle, especially because Nux was still paying his half of the bills despite spending one night in ten actually in the apartment. And if he was a little lonely without his best-okay, only-friend, but so what? He was basically living alone for half the price!

But now, even on the rare occasions he and Nux were actually together, Nux seemed incapable (pun intended) of talking about anything besides her.

They saw a commercial on TV with a redhead in it? Five minutes of rambling about how beautiful Capable’s hair was. Slit made himself a sandwich for lunch? Nux telling a lengthy anecdote about how Capable had taught him to make the perfect, non-soggy PB&J.

(For the record, put peanut butter on both slices of bread, then add jelly. Slit had secretly tried it, and although he would never tell Nux, it was amazing).

Even now, when they were supposed to be playing Nux’s favorite video game, he kept pausing it to show Slit pictures of the apple-picking expedition he had gone on with Capable and her sisters the weekend before.

“And then we were gonna do one of those old-timey costume pictures but-Slit, you aren’t even looking!”

Without glancing in Nux’s direction, he replied, deadpan, “‘Course I am. You went to an orgy in an orchard, right?”

Nux elbowed him, and after a brief wrestling match, Nux stuck his phone screen in Slit’s face. He saw Nux, smiling dopily at Capable, and then-

Even though there were six people in the picture, Slit’s attention immediately fixated on one.

Standing beside Capable was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

“Who is that?” He blurted out, wishing Nux’s phone screen was bigger so he could see the details of her face better. She was petite, by far the shortest person in the picture, with short black hair and a delicate face. Her skin was dark and gorgeous, and her smile was mischievous.

“Oh, her? That’s Toast, Capable’s little sister. Well, not really little, she’s only a few months younger, she was born in December and Capable’s birthday is in May, remember, I tried to rent that petting zoo-”

Slit cut him off, not willing to hear another recounting of Capable’s last birthday. He had to know more about this perfect, stunning person. “What’s she like?”

He told himself not to get his hopes up; maybe she hated animals or thought Jared Leto was a better Joker than Heath Ledger.

Nux gave him a thoughtful look. “She’s really great. Funny and badass and super smart. You’d like her a lot, actually, she reads all the time and works on cars. ‘Cept she’s cool and you’re lame, of course.”

Slit punched him, but in what he considered an affectionate way. “Is she single?”

“Actually, she asked Capable if I had any friends for her to meet. She wants to go on some double dates with us.”

Under normal circumstances, the smug expression on Nux’s face would have earned him several decidedly non-affectionate punches, but he now represented Slit’s link to meeting Toast, so he swallowed his pride and said, “Could you, uh, mention my name?”

His attempt at sounding casual seemed kind of weak after his wild eagerness to learn more about her, and it only made Nux’s smirk widen. But it didn’t matter, he would listen to all of Nux’s boring stories without complaint as long as it meant Nux introduced him to Toast.

 

Looking back, Toast realized she should have known something was up the moment she entered their apartment and was greeted at the door by an apron-clad Capable and the delicious smell of breakfast food. Capable’s culinary offerings usually began and ended with sandwiches. She was actually a pretty good cook when she tried, but her general refusal to follow recipes resulted in strange food that only Nux would eat.

“Hi!” Capable said brightly. “How was your day? Are you hungry?”

She took Toast’s bag and set it by the door before leading her to the kitchen table.

“Uh, I’m good, and I guess I could eat,” Toast replied, shocked as she took in the ridiculous spread of food. Sunny side up eggs, chocolate chip waffles, hash browns with cheese _and_ corned beef hash, buttery toast and orange juice-all delicious and Toast’s favorites (she fucking _loved_ brinner) but still completely unexpected.

Was her sister trying to put her in a good mood? Mentally, Toast ran through a list of possible scenarios. Capable wrecked the car? No, Angharad had it today. Maybe something was broken in the apartment, and she wanted Toast’s help in fixing it? She cast a surreptitious glance towards the smoke detector, which Capable had accidentally ripped off the wall during a failed culinary adventure, but everything seemed normal and in its place. Besides, Capable knew she didn’t have to suck up to Toast to get her help; all she had to do was ask.

It wasn’t her birthday, or any other major holiday Toast could think of. Perhaps something awful had happened, and Capable wanted to make sure her blood sugar was good before giving her the bad news.

Capable pulled out a chair and guided a stunned Toast into it gently, then began to load up her plate with food.

Meaning to say thank you, Toast found herself saying, “Capable, what’s going on? Is somebody sick? Did Dag get arrested again at a protest? I told her, she has _got_ to let us know when she plans on chaining herself to things so we can bail her out.”

Unexpectedly, Capable giggled. “No, everything’s fine, no one is in jail or sick or anything. I found someone to go on a double date with you and Nux and me!”

“Oh,” Toast felt an odd combination of relief, excitement, and nerves, “Why all this, then? It really felt like you were building up to something much more dramatic.”

Capable plopped down in the seat next to Toast, helping herself to some of the food.

“I thought it’d be a nice way to celebrate your first date, but maybe it was a little over the top. Next time I’ll just text you.”

Toast leaned up against Capable for a moment affectionately, not wanting her sister to feel guilty. After all, she had been trying to give Toast a nice surprise.

“It’s wonderful, I had a long day and this is all perfect. Thank you for making me a first date feast.”

For a few minutes, they ate in companionable silence while Toast tried to process everything. The previous week, she had asked Capable and Angharad to see if their significant others had any friends who she might like, but she hadn’t expected Capable to come up with someone so quickly! The idea of going on a date was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Toast thought she was ready to start dating-or as ready as she’d ever be-and going on a double date with one of her sisters there was much less intimidating than going out with a complete stranger she met online.

It would also be easier to go out with someone who knew a little about their past, had heard about the compound and Joe, understood why Toast was a 22-year-old who’d never been on a date.

Pushing that thought aside, she said, “So, tell me!”

“Tell you what?” Despite her teasing tone, Capable wore a guileless expression that Toast did not believe for one second.

She nudged Capable gently with her elbow. “About this guy! The one I’m apparently going on a date with.”

“Well, you aren’t committed to anything yet, if you like what you hear then you guys can come along on me and Nux’s picnic next week. But if you don’t feel comfortable or aren’t into him then I’ll have Nux tell him you aren’t interested.”

“Thanks Cape, that sounds perfect. But I need to hear about him before I decide anything!” She was grateful that Capable was taking things slowly, respecting Toast’s boundaries and making her feel safe throughout the process.

Capable, who would never pass up an opportunity for silliness, made a show of chewing her turkey bacon with exaggerated slowness.

“His name is Slit, he’s Nux’s best friend. They’re practically brothers, they grew up together like we did, and now they’re roommates too. He works part-time at Ace’s garage and goes to school.”

This all sounded promising to Toast. She liked Nux; he was a huge dork, but also a good guy and a pretty awesome boyfriend for Capable. Anyone he hung out with had to be alright. And Ace was an old friend of their mom’s, and he ran the best garage in town. On the rare occasion any of them had car troubles they couldn’t fix themselves, Ace’s garage was their go-to shop. She couldn’t recall ever meeting anyone named Slit there, but if he employed this guy, he couldn’t be a total flake.

So, two things in Slit’s favor.

“Smart?”

“Yeah, though not as smart as you. But then again, no one is,” Capable said with a wink.

“Damn right. Do you know what he’s going to school for?”

Her sister replied through a mouthful of hash browns, “Nah, I think he’s just doing intro stuff right now, trying things out.”

Toast nodded thoughtfully. That was perfectly acceptable, since most people didn’t start college with a concrete idea of what they wanted to do. She wondered what he’d make of her double majors in biology and religion, with a focus on race and gender studies.

“What does he do? When he’s not listening to Nux wax poetic on your copper tresses?”

Anyone who spent more than a few minutes with Nux invariably heard about all about Capable, even her sisters, who knew her better than he did. As Nux’s roommate, Slit was undoubtedly on the receiving end of lots of these little speeches.

Capable blushed. “That’s another thing you and Slit have in common, you like to make fun of my boyfriend! He really doesn’t talk about me _that_ much.”

Seeing Toast’s disbelieving look, Capable continued, “He does car stuff with Nux, of course, and likes to go hiking. Whenever I go over there he’s always got novels laying around, and I remember a while ago he wanted to adopt a dog but their apartment complex wouldn’t let him.”

Wow. Was this guy for real, or was Capable talking him up? But her sister couldn’t lie, and honestly wasn’t great at even exaggerating. But a college-going, literate, and gainfully employed animal lover/mechanic/outdoorsman seemed almost too good to be true.

“Do you have any pictures of this god amongst men? Is he cute?” Toast didn’t consider herself to be a shallow person, but she didn’t particularly want to go out with someone she wasn’t attracted to.

Capable heaved a dramatic sigh. “I suppose he’s alright looking. Not as handsome as Nux, of course.”

She ignored the barfing face Toast made in response to that comment and pulled out her phone. She clicked on it a few times and then handed it to Toast.

Toast wasn’t sure what she had expected this man to look like, but it hadn’t been this. Not a really fucking hot guy, almost the same height as Nux with close-cropped dark hair and a sexy smile. He didn’t have Nux’s baby blue eyes or fine-boned facial features (that boy was almost as pretty as Capable), but that was alright. Toast thought she liked men who were more rugged, and he certainly fit that description.

She remembered the time her grannies had all gotten very, very drunk, and Keep had advised her to find a man with a strong jaw so she’d ‘have a sturdy place to sit’, and blushed. He certainly seemed to have that covered.

How was he affecting her like this? She hadn’t heard his name an hour ago, and now she was already thinking about sitting on his face. Although she didn’t know much about dating, she felt like that was skipping a few steps.

 _Wait until you actually meet him before you start objectifying him,_ she told herself firmly, then forced herself to focus back on the picture.

Holy shit, his muscles. He was jacked, with broad shoulders and a chest that made her knees week. Again, another tidbit of not-so-grandmotherly wisdom from Keep floated through her mind.

_If you want to date a man, make sure he can carry you to safety in the event of a fire and that he’s big enough to shield you from falling debris in an earthquake._

Someday she’d have to ask her granny why so much of her advice was related to natural disasters. But looking at his massive arms and solid frame, she thought that he definitely fit the bill as a potential rescuer/human shield.

“So?” Capable’s voice was expectant, and she realized her sister was watching her, a pleased expression on her face.

“He’s pretty good-looking, I guess,” Toast replied, forcing herself to remain nonchalant. She really, really, _really_ wanted to meet this man now, but she needed one more thing she need to be sure of before she agreed to anything. “You think he’s a good guy, right?”

Her sister’s expression softened, and she pulled Toast into an awkward but warm side hug. “Of course, Toast. I wouldn’t have even told you about him if I didn’t think he was a good choice. I know how hard it is, spending time with men, but I’ll be with you the whole time. And if you change your mind and want to leave, even anytime during the date, then I’ll go with you, no questions asked.”

There was really no reason to say no. He sounded like someone she would get along with, was unfairly good-looking, and came well-recommended. Capable’s words had helped quiet her nerves, and she allowed herself to be excited, to forget the pain of what was behind her and focus on the future.

She smiled at her sister. “So what does one wear on a picnic double date?”

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read/left comments/kudos, I really appreciate them! I hope you all enjoy the chapter :)

“Remember, don’t touch her unless she initiates it,” Nux said to him firmly, pounding the steering wheel with one fist for emphasis. They were on their way to the double date, and Nux was taking the opportunity of the car ride to go over the guidelines of how Slit was to behave with Toast for what felt like the hundredth time.

If he hadn’t been practically bouncing out of his seat with nerves, he would have been offended that Nux thought he needed this much instruction for a fairly basic human interaction. He may not have been a fancy person but he did have _some_ idea how to act.

“I know, I promise I won’t be a jackass.”

Nux shot him a grin. “You’re gonna be fine, I think she’ll like you a lot.”

Slit hoped so too. In addition to the usual first-date jitters, he was also experiencing ‘I hope she isn’t terrified of me or my fucked up face’ anxiety. He felt a pang of envy when he glanced at Nux, so relaxed and confident. The scars on his face made his cheekbones sharper, more handsome, something Slit knew couldn’t be said about his own Glasgow smile. Even though Nux had assured him that Toast knew what he looked like, had seen his picture and hadn’t even remarked on the scars to Capable, he was still worried that she would take one look at his face and call the whole thing off. He was glad that they hadn’t ridden over together; Capable and Toast had driven their own car to the nature preserve. Nux hadn’t said why, but Slit assumed that it was to provide Toast with an easy way to leave, if she completely hated him. A car ride with the most lovey-dovey couple on earth would have been exceedingly uncomfortable for anyone, let alone people on a blind date.

 

As they pulled into the parking lot, Slit caught sight of two women standing next to the only other car in the lot, and the butterflies in his stomach intensified.

Nux parked the car and ran over to Capable, leaving Slit to deal with the cooler full of food. By the time Slit joined them, Capable and Nux were deeply engrossed in a passionate reunion-a bit excessive, considering that she had been at their place just a few hours ago to help make the food. Hearing Slit’s approach, Nux set Capable down, and she smiled at him. “Slit, this is my sister Toast. Toast, meet Slit.”

He had been making great efforts not to stare, afraid that she would see how badly he was blushing, but now he finally tore his gaze from the ground and looked at her.

Toast was even prettier than she had looked in the picture. She was wearing a short blue dress with little flowers on it and hiking boots, and Slit was momentarily overwhelmed by how small she was. Probably a foot shorter than him, with a slender frame and delicate face she tipped up to look at him appraisingly. She was so, so, _so_ cute and he felt acutely self-conscious of his scars.

Nux gave him a look, and he realized that he hadn’t said a word, just stared at her.

So, attempting an attractive and non-threatening smile, he said, “Hey, Toast, nice to meet you.”

Toast didn’t smile back, just kept watching him. Something about her steady, confident gaze made him want to stand up taller and puff out his chest, and he realized how desperately he wanted to impress her.

Capable had let go of Nux to stand near Toast, her body angled to partially shield her sister from his view, and Slit got the impression that she was ready to hustle Toast into their car and drive away if he made a wrong move.

Then Toast leaned in and whispered something in Capable’s ear, making her giggle, and she stepped away, relaxing visibly. Nux had forewarned him about that too, that Capable and her sisters sometimes talked to one another in what was practically their own private language, but not to take it personally.

Finally, at long last, she spoke, her voice low and soft. “Nice to meet you too, Slit.”

Toast stuck her hand out, and after casting a nervous look at Nux-surely this counted as her initiating contact?-he took it. She had a surprisingly firm handshake for someone with such tiny hands.

As they set off on their hike, he tried not to think about how good her warm fingers had felt against his.

 

For a few minutes they walked in awkward silence behind Nux and Capable, Slit desperately trying to think of something to say. But he honestly was drawing a complete blank; the only thing he could come up with was to ask where she bought her hiking boots, but even he knew that was unbelievably lame.

For her part, Toast was gazing resolutely ahead, not even looking in his direction.

Even though her legs were much shorter than his, her stride was so brisk that Slit was struggling to keep up. Did she always move this fast? It was like trying to walk with one of those little birds that ran around parking lots. Was she trying to get away from him?

“Hey, Toast.” he said, finally finding his voice. If it had been anyone else, he might have tried to touch her arm, but he remembered the strict no-touching rule. “If you don’t want to be here with me, that’s fine. I won’t be offended if you go home, or want me to leave.”

Slit was being honest when he said that he wouldn’t be mad, because he understood. Nux had told him where Capable, Toast, and their three sisters came from, what they had been through, and he couldn’t imagine that dating was easy for any of them. He would be a more than a little disappointed, but above all he didn’t want her to be uncomfortable because of him.

 

She stopped and turned to look at him, her huge dark eyes piercing him, and his knees felt like they turned to jelly under her thoughtful gaze.

For a moment, she looked puzzled, her brow knitting in confusion, “Why would you think I wanted to leave?”

Then comprehension dawned on her face. “Oh. I guess me not speaking to you and then practically running away could give you that impression.”

Had she really been unaware of how strange she had been acting? Not wanting to be rude, he mumbled something noncommittal, and, quite unexpectedly, she laughed. Her giggle was adorable-as much as that word annoyed him, there was no other way to describe it-and Slit hoped he would get to hear it again.

Toast continued, “Well, I do actually want to be here, I just have a tendency to get a little…well, awkward sometimes, with new people.”

That he could understand; his response to uncomfortable situations was to act like a complete asshole. “Me too, ‘specially with blind dates.”

Apparently made slightly more relaxed by their mutual acknowledgement of the awkward situation, Toast pointed at the thick leather cuff on his wrist. “I like your bracelet, the dragon scale effect is really cool.”

He had actually stolen it from Nux, but she didn’t need to know that. “Thanks, I thought it looked like a Targaryen thing.”

“You’re a Song of Ice and Fire fan? Just the show or the books too?” Toast’s face had lit up, and Slit felt a rush of gratitude that he had thought to wear it.

“I saw the show first but then I read the books, but I quit the show after season five. Got boring and the writing was bad.”

“Me too! The first three seasons were awesome but-”

 

 

Once the initial awkwardness had dissipated, they had plenty to talk about. Their spirited argument about various Game of Thrones fan theories like R+L=J and the Great Northern Conspiracy transitioned into discussions of the superhero genre, the upcoming presidential election, student loans, and how ridiculous Capable and Nux were together. Their conversation moved easily from topic to topic, from their favorite books to plans for the future, and they never ran out of things to talk about.   It lasted through the picnic, and Slit was so focused on her, he barely noticed any of the food he ate.

Toast was intense and funny and probably the smartest person Slit had ever met, and he made a silent promise to thank Nux for setting this up. She spoke rapidly as she bounded ahead of him, climbing up rocks and stepping carefully off the path to look at interesting plants, certain that he would follow her. And he would; she was so confident and direct, and he wanted nothing more than to let her tell him what to do all the time.

 

To that end, he was hyping himself up to ask her on another date as they walked back towards their vehicles. Every time he almost worked up the courage to do it, he would say something else instead, nerves overcoming him.

Finally, as they reached the edge of the parking lot, he got the words out. He wasn’t sure what exactly he had expected from her response; a smile, maybe, or a joke. But almost certainly something positive.

That was not what happened. Something in her face hardened, and she had curtly declined. Before he knew what was happening, she had grabbed Capable and was driving away, leaving him behind with a bewildered Nux. He had been so hurt and confused that Nux hadn’t even bothered trying to press him on the matter, so they drove home in silence.

Slit retreated to his room to try and figure out what went wrong. They had been having a great time, he thought. Why wouldn’t she want to see him again?

It must have been his face. His goddamn torn-up face. A date with only her sister and Nux around was one thing, a place where no one else could see them, but there was no way someone like her would ever be in public with someone who looked like him. No one would. That was the sad truth of his life, and he needed to accept it.

 

Late that night, he was laying in bed, contemplating a future in which Nux married Capable, leaving Slit alone in their shitty apartment, until someday he choked on his food or slipped in the shower and died, his body going undiscovered for weeks because no one cared about him. He was considering whether he should invest in a Life Alert necklace when his phone, laying on the floor next to his mattress, was charging.

He rolled over and grabbed it, frowning when he saw that it was from a strange number. For a moment he wondered who the fuck was texting him, and then he actually read the message.

_Hey, this is Toast. I got your number from Capable, I hope you don’t mind. I’d like to talk, so if you want, come to my parents’ place at noon tomorrow. I’ll be in the garden behind the house._

There was an address too. Slit stared at the text for a moment, then set his phone down, wondering what he would do.

 

 

 

At quarter to noon the next day, Toast took up her preferred sunbathing/reading position in the garden behind her family home with a book. Sitting in the grass, she told herself that she didn’t care if Slit came to talk to her. She absolutely was not straining to hear the sound of an approaching vehicle or reading the same paragraph over and over because she couldn’t focus.

Yesterday, she had panicked. There was no other way to describe it. She had been having a great time, he was funny and surprisingly intelligent and seemed like a good person. And ridiculously attractive to her in a way beyond the physical, something that his picture hadn’t captured.

Most importantly, Toast had felt relaxed and comfortable around him. Safe. But for some reason, when he had asked her out again, all of the good feelings rushed out of her head, and all she could think of was the fear and pain and bad things that came along with relationships. She momentarily forgot her parents’ happy marriage, how blissful her two older sisters were with their partners, and in that moment of panic she had told him no.

And although she really did want to try something with him, but the question was, would he still be interested in her?

 

Toast was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Slit’s approach until a large dark shadow fell over her book. She looked up and felt her stomach lurch at the sight of him, somehow looking even more handsome than yesterday. He had come. Maybe there was still a chance.

By way of a greeting, he said, “Nice hat.”

His voice was neutral but she felt like he was teasing her a little; it was floppy and looked enormous, especially on her. “Thanks, my sister Dag gave it to me. Skin cancer is a silent killer, you know.”

It was meant to be a joke, but she could tell he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to laugh or not. He settled for not responding, standing there awkwardly like he was waiting for an order. She remembered what Capable had told her, that he and Nux sometimes reverted to their former gang member mentality when they were uncertain of themselves, obedient and unable to make decisions for themselves. It made her a little uncomfortable to think of herself in that way, as someone to issue commands for others to follow mindlessly.

Her sister could always bring Nux back to himself by making sure they were on the same level, reminding him that he was his own person.

“Wanna sit?” Toast patted the grass beside her.

With surprising grace for such a large man, he settled beside her, maintaining a respectful distance.

She had been up half the night planning what she would say, but now all of her carefully thought-out explanations seems to have vanished.

But as she opened her mouth to say something, he spoke instead.

“Look, I understand. You aren’t into me because of his, no need to apologize.” He gestured at his scarred cheeks, not even sounding angry, just resigned.

Oh. So he thought she was repulsed by his scars, that they were why she had gotten awkward towards the end of the date.   For a moment she was extremely offended, borderline furious, and then a thought occurred to her.

“You haven’t met my sister Angharad, have you? Or seen any pictures of her?”

He shook his head, clearly bewildered by the sudden change in topic. Toast rolled over and grabbed her phone from where it laid in the grass, surprised. So Capable hadn’t been exaggerating; when Nux showed Slit the picture of them together at the apple orchard, he really had only looked at her.

She scooted close to him, so close she could feel the warmth radiating from him, and showed him her phone’s lock screen. It was a selfie she had taken with her sisters last Christmas, all five of them smiling with their faces pressed closed together and pink-cheeked from the cold. Angharad was standing on Toast’s right, her face angled towards the camera, with her scars clearly visible.

Toast was so used to her sister’s scars that she barely noticed them, but she was hyperaware of how others responded to them, and she found herself watching Slit’s expression closely. If he cringed or otherwise showed any signs of disgust or revulsion, she would ask him to leave, delete his number, and never speak to him again.  

But all she saw on his face was understanding.

Finally, she spoke, the words she had rehearsed so carefully in her head coming tumbling out. “It had nothing to do with your scars. I was really attracted to you, and it scared me. So I freaked out, and distanced myself. But I asked you to come because I really like you, and I want to give this a chance. If you’re interested.”

There. She had said it, bared her feelings to this man she barely knew. It should have been terrifying, but all she felt was that same sense of calm that she’d experienced in his presence yesterday.

Slit’s face was difficult to read, but she thought that maybe it was hope she saw in his eyes.

“My scars really don’t bother you? You’re so beautiful, you could date anyone. Why’d you want someone with a fucked up face?”

Unexpectedly, Toast blushed at his words; no one in her new life (besides her family) had ever called her beautiful. She shook her head. “I wouldn’t choose someone to date just based on looks. There are so many other things that are more important to me, and you have all of those. But Slit-you’re beautiful too.”

He seemed to have been momentarily rendered speechless. Perhaps he had no words to express what he was feeling at that moment. Toast knew lots and didn’t quite know what to say.

Slit extended his hand towards her, palms up, and she took it. It was callused and warm, and even this entirely non-sexual contact sent a thrill through her. He raised her hand to his cheek, moving slowly to give her time to pull away if she wanted to. But she didn’t.

When her fingers touched his scars, he let go, allowing her to gently move her hand along them. They felt different from Angharad’s, the skin pulled tight over the places his face had been sliced open.

“Can you feel anything there?” As soon as she spoke, she worried that the question was too personal, but he didn’t seem to mind. Her fingers had slid down to cup his cheek, and he nuzzled at her hand in a surprisingly tender gesture.

“Not really. Just pain, sometimes.” His words were matter-of-fact, but something about them stirred pity deep inside her. What must it be like, walking around with wounds that would never heal, being stared at everywhere you went?

Acting on a sudden wild instinct, she leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his cheek, her lips brushing the worst of his scars. She repeated, “Slit, you’re beautiful, and that includes your scars.”

When she pulled away, he was looking at her differently. There was an intensity to his gaze, a heaviness that sent a thrill through her. Before, she had been too focused on their conversation to really acknowledge how arousing being this close to him was, but now, she was intensely reminded of how badly she wanted him. And judging by the way his pulse thrummed in his neck beneath his fingers, how his lips parted in anticipation, the feeling was mutual.

They were already so close together that her knees nearly brushed his, and so it was easy to inch forward into his lap. The fabric of his jeans bit at the bare skin of her legs as she settled her feet on either side of his hips. Part of her wanted to slide forward, see if he was hard already under his jeans, but she knew it was too soon. Instead, she settled for running a hand down his chest, marveling at the sheer size of him.

“Toast?” She realized it was the first time he had ever said her name, and something about the way he murmured it was thrilling. “Can I kiss you, please?”

She breathed, “Please do.”

He leaned down to meet, and although this-a true kiss, a lovers’ kiss-was something Toast had never experienced before, she knew immediately how right this felt, how good. Neither of them knew what they were doing, but even the unpracticed brush of his lips on her neck made her burn for more.

Through a haze, Toast remembered something Angharad had told her a while back, that it was extremely important to set boundaries with your partner so no one felt pressured to do anything. She did not want to be thinking about her sister at a time like this, but she knew Angharad was right.

So, with great reluctance, she broke their kiss and said, “I just want to kiss you today, okay? No sex or anything beyond making out.”

To her great satisfaction, Slit looked so lust-addled that it took him a moment to respond. “That’s okay, I figured. Didn’t want to do it for the first time outside anyway, I expect flowers and fancy sheets and shit. I’ve seen movies, I know how it’s supposed to be.”

For a horrible moment, she wondered if he had misunderstood everything about her past. “Slit, you know I’m not a virgin, right?”

“’Course I do. I meant for me.” He seemed puzzled that she was even asking, and she was so distracted by how cute his confused face was that it took her a moment to realize he had never had sex before. They would learn together, how to have an intimate relationship built on joy and trust.  

In her best attempt at a Samwell Tarly impression, Toast said, “Didn’t know where to put it?”

It took Slit a moment to get the joke, but when he did, he smirked at her. In what was quite possibly the worst English accent she had ever heard, he replied, “I know where to put it!”

She kissed him again, less gently than last time, drawing his lower lip between hers and biting down. He hissed, pulling her closer, and Toast reveled in the feel of his hard chest pressed against her. Slit was so big, but despite the massive difference in their sizes, she wasn’t afraid of him. His large hands were unpracticed and a little clumsy as they held her, thick fingers tentatively touching the sensitive skin of her hips, but they were gentle and undemanding. He would not do anything unless she told him it was okay.

Even with his mouth on hers and his touch making her skin sing, she wanted _more_ , more contact, more Slit. She tightened her legs around his waist, and both of them groaned at the sensation. Toast gave in to the urge to map his broad back, hands slipping beneath the thin fabric of his shirt and tracing his spine. Slit shuddered with pleasure, and he broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers.

“Didn’t know-didn’t know anything could feel this good.” He was gasping for breath, and she felt like she’d just sprinted a mile.

“Me neither. But I bet we can find stuff to do that feels even better.”

They sank down together into the sweet-smelling grass, with no one to see except the bees buzzing at the flowers nearby, and got lost in one another.

Cheedo was humming softly to the music playing through her headphones as she made her way through the garden, water can in hand. She was in a good mood; her voice lesson this morning had gone well, and after Valkyrie had dropped her off at the house she’d taken a much-needed nap. Now she just needed to water some of Keep’s more sensitive plants before Dag came to pick her up to go help out at Giddy’s shop.

As she rounded the corner of the garden shed, Cheedo was so lost in her thoughts about how great it would be to have her driver’s license that the unexpected sight of two people locked in a passionate embrace gave her the shock of a lifetime.

She let out an involuntary shriek, nearly flinging the water can in their direction.

Startled, they broke apart, and Cheedo realized that one of the people was Toast, her big sister, lying on top of an enormous man that Cheedo had never seen before.

“Cheedo!” Toast cried, struggling to push herself into an upright position. “Ohmigod, Cheedo, I’m so sorry-I didn’t know you were home-”

Cheedo shook her head resignedly. “It’s okay, Toast, you don’t have to explain. I don’t mind.”

Honestly, between Angharad and Rey making out all over the place and the fact that she had walked in on Nux with his head up Capable’s skirt just last week, this wasn’t even that bad. What did her sisters have against fooling around behind closed doors, like normal people?

Toast looked relieved, but even if Cheedo had wanted to be angry, her sister was so obviously happy that she couldn’t have brought herself to complain. Toast’s hair was mussed, her shirt half-open, and she couldn’t keep a huge grin off her face. And the adoration on the strange man’s face was plain; he was staring at her sister like she hung the sun.

She waved at him, trying to be polite. “It’s nice to meet you, uh…”

“Slit,” Toast helpfully supplied. “My…I guess he’s my boyfriend now?”

Cheedo resisted the urge to gag at the worshipful look Slit gave Toast, and instead said, “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Slit. We’re having a family game night tomorrow, you should come and meet everyone.”

She wondered how her grannies would react to one of her sisters bringing home yet another heavily scarred white man. But based on the way Slit and Toast were looking each other, she suspected that they’d keep the teasing to a minimum.

Cheedo left the happy couple to their outdoor canoodling with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the fic!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and hopefully part two will be out within a week!


End file.
